Editorial: Stanton council incumbents deserve to stay

2012-10-08 17:15:47

Hardly any of Orange County's 34 cities have been as economically challenged in recent years as has Stanton, which boasts a modest $16.4 million operating budget, with more than three-quarters of it spent on police and fire protection.

Stanton declared a fiscal emergency last year. And its city manager this year sent a letter to Stanton's 38,000 residents, warning that the city budget has a structural budget deficit; that it faces bankruptcy in coming years; and that Stanton could become an unincorporated "island" of Orange County.

Against that disquieting backdrop, five candidates are vying for two seats on the Stanton City Council. They include two incumbents, Councilman Al Ethans and Mayor Carol Warren, and challengers Andrew Marques, Sou Moua and Bryan Palomares.

We commend Mssrs. Marques, Moua and Palomares for their willingness to stand for office during a time when their city is facing a budgetary crisis that threatens its very cityhood.

But that crisis is precisely the reason why Stanton residents need to elect council members who do not require on-the-job training; who are intimately knowledgeable about the budget-related issues that will face the next council.

Mr. Ethans and Ms. Warren have spent the past several years on the council making hard – but necessary – decisions to avert Stanton's financial collapse. That's why the Register's Editorial Board endorses them both.

On their watch, the council reduced the size of every department at City Hall, and even shut the building down Fridays to save tax dollars. They also cut back some police services, while also closing two parks, and decreasing maintenance at the city's remaining parks.

The one bone we pick with both Mr. Ethans and Ms. Warren is their support for Measure J, which appeared on Stanton's June ballot and which would have raised the city utility tax to 7.5 percent from 5.5 percent.

Stanton's voters rejected the measure, which would have cost them $1.1 million a year, sending a message to the council that it is expected to balance the budget without new taxes.

"The City Council heard the concerns of the voters," Mr. Ethans said, "and will not seek any further changes to local taxes."

Ms. Warren notes that she and her council colleagues "thought outside the box" to balance the city's budget for its new fiscal year – without the extra utility tax revenue. Her priority if reelected, she said, is restore the city's reserves while also seeking ways "to restore services to citizens" without an adverse impact on the budget.

We believe the two incumbents the most prudent choices for Stanton City Council.